RATING ON UNIMPROVED VALUE.

Rangitikei Advocate and Manawatu Argus, Volume XXXVI, Issue 10402, 16 July 1912, Page 5

RATING ON UNIMPROVED VALUE.

SIR,—I would like to draw the attention of your Unimproved Readers—[We have nol unimproved readers. IS is impossible for anyone to read the Advocate without being improved,—Ed, ]—to a leader appearing in yonrTpaper of !the 15th inst., in which are the remarks of a Canterbury farmer, Mr „David' Jones, I do so for the purpose of pointing out that excessive valuing can be made under the unimproved value the same as is now alleged to be done under the present Annual Value system of our borough. Though I am in favour of rating on the Annual Value lam not in accordance' with the Borough valuation manage meat of the system. lam inclined to. think, from What I can learn, that it is the method of onr valuation . that has made, and is making, the ratepayers dissatisfied and willing ~ to try " a change. In making uay comments upon the valuation method Ido not wish to cast any re flection . npon the Borough Council, the Borough Valuer, or Cierk, but I honestly [think lt‘ls net to the satisfaction of the ratepayers to have tbe Town Clerk also holding ( the portfolio of Borough Vainer. It is only reasonable to think that it is to the advantage of the Town Clerk as a business man to get as high a revenue as it is possible for the Borongb to produce, and. therefore, when he is expected by tbe Connell to hold the dnal position of Valuer and Clerk this ambition must arise and consequently respective properties are rated within a hair-breadth of the limit that the lawi with respect to valuing will permit: in fact, in many cases the valuation overlaps the limit. We oan take for example a manager put in charge of any business Is it not bis ambition to try to create large returns and profits to make him worthy of bis position? It is after all a sentiment that should be endowed in . all keen business men. Therefore it is unwise of those that are not satisfied with the present system to abject to it on these grounds as you will see in reference,to the article referred to that excessive valuing et more annoying kind will take place under the unimproved system then under the good system we have now, Jf 'fairly dealt with.—i am, etc., “ F. R. H. BRICE.